The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

In Print: This is not your typical Amazon summertime excursion

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Missionary work, especially the kind that takes you around the world, is very important. And that could include all kinds of jobs — educators, builders, doctors, you name it.

But what about hairstylists?

Mayra Santiago enlisted the help of fellow church member Mahalie Rivera to cut hair during a mission trip to a small Amazon village in Colombia. (Courtesy of Mayra Santiago)
Mayra Santiago enlisted the help of fellow church member Mahalie Rivera to cut hair during a mission trip to a small Amazon village in Colombia. (Courtesy of Mayra Santiago)

Mayra Santiago helps many customers at Ulta Beauty at The Grove at Wesley Chapel. But this past summer, she traveled to Colombia, where the 43-year-old made sure the people living in the Amazon had the best haircuts Florida can offer.

“I never, never, never in my life expected to cut hair in the Amazon,” Santiago told reporter B.C. Manion.

Santiago made the trip with her church, Vida Community Church, which is temporarily based in Land O’ Lakes, but draws from the region. It’s a bilingual congregation led by pastors Dwight and Lizania Miranda, which has a heart for missions.

Just like how Santiago has a heart for cutting hair. “It’s my passion,” she said.

What was the trip like? What kind of stories did Santiago bring back? Find out in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, available on newsstands now. Or if you prefer the digital age, you can get our online e-edition absolutely free by clicking here.

The Sunlake Seahawks volleyball team is poised to accomplish no other volleyball team has accomplished at the school before: Make the playoffs.

Coach Deann Newton has led her team to its second year in a row with a winning record. And while the 16-10 mark last year caused them to just miss the postseason, Sunlake’s 14-4 record through last Friday may end up with a far different result.

“Before, it wasn’t as serious,” junior Gianna Basulto told reporter Michael Murillo. “But when Coach Newton showed up, it was like game on. This is how we’re going to do it. She was very straight-forward, and I love that about her because that’s the type of coach that I and the whole team need.”

So what does the future hold for the Sunlake Seahawks this season? Find out in the print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, or you can read it on your computer or tablet device by clicking here.

Finally, Dave Estabrook spent 35 years helping to mold minds and lead education programs in the Land O’ Lakes area. Now the retired principal is being honored by one of his former schools when Charles S. Rushe Middle School names its media center after him.

David Salerno, who succeeded Estabrook as principal of the school, said naming the media center after him made sense, because it completely matched Estabrook’s leadership style.

“Immediately, I observed a leader who made it his mission to seek input from many stakeholders — as many stakeholders as possible — when making decisions,” Salerno said. “Not only that, he specifically sought out people that he thought might have a different point of view. He believed in the importance of considering all aspects of problems before recommending a solution.”

And the praise didn’t stop there. Read it all in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News, or get a peek at what it looks like coming from the digital realm by clicking here.

All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.

If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.

Time to walk to school on Wednesday

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Drivers should be extra careful on school routes Wednesday as many students will take to the street.

It’s part of International Walk to School Day, which raises awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. It also emphasizes the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, and concern for the environment.

Statewide, it’s expected that 100,000 students in more than 375 schools will walk and bike to school on Wednesday, along with parents, teachers and community leaders.

“Bicycle and pedestrian safety is a top initiative for the department,” said FDOT chief safety officer Lora Hollingsworth, in a release. “Walking to school creates healthy habits for students and families, and we want to ensure a safe way for them to get there and home safely.”

Organizations that support the walking program include America Walks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Highway Administration, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the National Center for Safer Routes to School, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Safe Kids Worldwide, and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.

For more information on the event, visit WalkBikeToSchool.org, SafeRoutesInfo.org, and IWalkToSchool.org.

Forest service invests in youth, veterans

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The U.S. Forest Service has invested $20 million in partnerships that supported work and training opportunities for 11,000 youth and veterans on national forests and grasslands this past year.

Service members worked on projects that addressed restoration, hazardous fuels, watershed protection, wilderness stewardship, recreation access, facilities management, trail maintenance, and other natural and cultural resource priorities, according to a release.

“The partnerships associated with developing the next generation of conservationists offer an opportunity to connect veterans and our young people to the great outdoors,” said U.S. Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack, in a release. “This program engages veterans and young people from diverse backgrounds — including underserved populations — and equips them with the knowledge and critical job skills they need to pursue careers in conservation and land management.”

The Forest Service provided employment in every state and region, as part of the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps. Partners matched the funds invested by the Forest Service on a nearly one-to-one basis.

Florida wants ‘abundance of caution’ against Ebola

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Could Ebola come to Florida? If it does, state government officials say they want to be prepared.

Over the weekend, a Miami hospital tested a patient to rule out Ebola, despite the fact the patient “did not meet the CDC case definition” for the virus, Gov. Rick Scott said, in a release.

“The test is being conducted out of an abundance of caution,” Scott said about the efforts of both the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Florida still does not have any confirmed cases of Ebola, and we hope we never do. But we are taking every preparedness step possible to keep our citizens and our visitors safe.”

Health officials requested 30 additional Ebola testing kits from the CDC, ensuring that all of the state’s 30 public hospitals have the ability to test patients believed to be infected, the governor’s office said. The health department also requested 100 additional units of high-level personal protective equipment to ensure the state is ready to backfill any county whose medical personnel develop a future need for those supplies.

“We know Florida’s hospitals and county health offices are prepared to identify and treat patients who may have Ebola,” Scott said. “While they are prepared on the local level, the state is requesting increased federal resources out of an abundance of caution for the unlikely event that we may have an extended response that warrants additional resources.”

The health department also is working in conjunction with the CDC to determine on a case-by-case basis whether testing for Ebola is necessary. The CDC already has shared detailed recommendations to the state’s hospitals to help detect suspected Ebola among those returned from affected countries, and prevention transmission of the virus within medical facilities.

Health officials also are providing training to counties on how to investigate and respond to people suspected of contracting the virus.

Thomas Eric Duncan travelled to Texas from Liberia last month after contracting the virus, and became one of the first cases to be diagnosed in the United States. He’s currently in critical condition in a Dallas hospital, according to published reports.

Five other Americans returned home after contracting Ebola, including a missionary doctor, and a television news cameraman. One American, Patrick Sawyer, has died, after seeking treatment in a Nigerian hospital.

Federal money available to protect farmlands, grasslands

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $328 million in conservation funding to help landowners protect and restore key farmlands, grasslands and wetlands across the nation.

The initiative, according to agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack in a release, will benefit wildlife and promote outdoor recreation and related sectors of the economy.

“Conservation easements help farmers and ranchers protect valuable agricultural lands from development, restore lands that are best suited for grazing, and return wetlands to their natural conditions,” Vilsack said. “These easements are making a dramatic and positive impact for our food supply, rural communities and species habitat.”

The funding is provided through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, which was created in the 2014 Farm Bill to protect critical wetlands, and encourage producers to keep lands in farming and ranching. Approximately 380 projects nationwide were selected to protect and restore 32,000 acres of prime farmland, 45,000 acres of grasslands, and 52,000 acres of wetlands.

In addition to protecting cropland and critical habitats, conservation strengthens outdoor recreation and helps boost the economy, the USDA said. According to the National Fish and Wildlife Federation, annual U.S. conservation spending totals $38.8 billion, but it produces $93.2 billion of economic output throughout the economy.

That output takes the form of more than 660,000 jobs, $41.6 billion in income, and a $59.7 billion contribution to the national gross domestic product, officials said.

Through the conservation program, private or tribal landowners as well as other eligible conservation partners working with landowners, can request USDA assistance to protect and enhance agricultural land through an agricultural or wetland easement.

The program consolidates three former Natural Resources Conservation Service easement programs: the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection program, the Grasslands Reserve program, and Wetlands Reserve program.

To find out more information on the conservation program, visit NRCS.usda.gov/GetStarted.

Plunging gas prices take a breather

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Notice gas going up at your favorite fill-up station? Don’t worry, it’s happening everywhere.

Maintenance at refineries along the Gulf of Mexico created a spike in gas prices this past week, pushing the cost of a gallon of gas up nearly a dime in one night Wednesday in some places around the state. But it did calm down elsewhere, and Florida reported an average of a 2-cent rise since last Sunday.

“Last week was a temporary setback in what should otherwise be a month of falling as prices,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “In October, refineries reduce output to conduct maintenance on their systems. They choose this month because fewer people are driving, and demand for gasoline is lower. However, there are more refineries along the Gulf coast doing maintenance compared to last year, and that put a temporary strain on supplies, causing prices to rise.”

However, that maintenance work should be done within the next week or so, Jenkins said, and that should cause gas prices to drop 20 cents by Thanksgiving.

If it weren’t for the maintenance work, gas prices would be at the lowest levels in a long time. The price of a barrel of oil settled at $89.74 last week, the first time it’s closed below $90 since April 2013. The United States remains the lead oil producer in the world because of the shale boom, and domestic crude production is at its highest level since March 1986, according to a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Gas prices in Florida averaged $3.31 Sunday, up 2 cents from last week but still down 5 cents from a month ago. It’s even with prices from a year ago.

Marathon had the lowest gas prices in the Land O’ Lakes area Sunday, charging $3.17 at its station on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and Ehren Cutoff. The highest was $3.29 at the Shell station on State Road 54 and State Road 56, according to GasBuddy.

However, prices were much better in Wesley Chapel, with $3.09 reported at the Marathon station at Wesley Chapel Boulevard near Magnolia Boulevard, and at the Shell station on County Road 54 and Oakley Boulevard. Prices peaked at $3.29 at two stations Willow Oaks Drive and State Road 56.

Gas prices in Lutz ranged from $3.19 at Citgo on North Dale Mabry Highway and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, to $3.34 at the Shell station at Dale Mabry and Van Dyke Road.

Prices in Zephyrhills were pretty uniform, with several stations reporting gas at $3.22 or $3.23 over the weekend, according to GasBuddy. The 7-Eleven on Fifth Avenue had the highest-priced gas, but it’s $3.29 was not that far above everyone else.

Dade City was a little cheaper with $3.19 reported at Clark on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue, and at Sunoco on U.S. 301 near Jordan Road. The most expensive there was $3.29 at two stations not far from downtown.

 

Pasco County offices, bus lines to close Oct. 13

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Many Pasco County offices will be closed Oct. 13, for what officials are calling a staff development and appreciation day.

County employees will be working, but will focus on various development and appreciation activities throughout the day, according to a release. It also will affect riders who depend on the bus — Pasco County Public Transportation will not run its regular bus routes that day.

All affected government offices will reopen Oct. 14. Other offices, like the clerk and comptroller, the property appraiser, the elections supervisor, the sheriff’s office, and the courts all will be open for business as usual on that Monday.

The Pasco County Resource Recovery Facility and the East Pasco Transfer Station will be open to the general public on Oct. 13, as well as to licensed commercial haulers. However, the recreation centers will be closed, while parks will remain open.

An animal control officer will be on standby for emergency calls only, and the animal shelter in Land O’ Lakes will reopen Oct. 14 at noon, and close at 4:30 p.m.

For information, visit PascoCountyFl.net.

Rental scams are quickly on the rise

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Rental options are becoming more and more expensive, according to real estate website Zillow, and only 10 percent of the largest rental markets are now more affordable than they were before the housing market collapse.

More than a third of American households are renting, according to studies, and rental affordability continues to decline.

Officials with the Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency warn that renters need to be more cautious than ever when looking for rental homes in online classified advertisements. Often, they said, people responding to an online ad for rental properties are instructed to wire funds for a deposit in order to receive the keys.

When potential renters request to see the property first, the landlords claim they are out of the country and cannot show the home. Those landlords, officials said, use pictures posted online of homes for sale — not rent — to create a fake listing. Homeowners selling their homes have been shocked to have victims knock on their doors, intending to move into their new rental home.

The Better Business Bureau also suggests renters be on the lookout for these red flags:

  • Deals that sound too good to be true. Scammers often try to lure in victims by listing a rental for a very low price. Check the area for comparable listings, and if the price for the rental property looks suspiciously low, or anything else seems suspicious, walk away.
  • Out-of-the-country landlords. If a landlord is located out of the area and only wants to communicate by email claiming they’ve relocated for a job or missionary work, don’t believe it.
  • Request for a large deposit or upfront money, with no inspection of the property. Never pay any money before a home is thoroughly inspected inside and out.
  • Requests to wire money or send via MoneyGram or GreenDot. Never send money to anyone via wire transfer service, because it’s extremely difficult to retrieve — if not impossible — after the scammers have picked up the funds.
  • Request for personal information for a credit application. Never provide personal information to people online. It can be used to commit identity fraud and steal more money from victims. It is advisable to provide sensitive information only in person.

If anyone suspects a scam or that they were victimized in a scam, they can contact the Hillsborough County Consumer Protection Agency at (813) 903-3430.

Thrift stores collecting donations for veterans

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All five Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes will collect toiletry items to give out to homeless and at-risk veterans as part of this year’s Stand Down Pasco County.

Donation collection begins Oct. 6 and will last until Oct. 17. Organizers prefer travel-size toiletry items, but also needed are personal care items, anti-bacterial hand wipes or gel, deodorant, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, flashlights, batteries, reading glasses and others.

Donations are accepted at these thrift stores:

• Dade City Thrift Shoppe, 37925 Sky Ridge Circle
• Lutz Thrift Shoppe, 1930 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
• Zephyrhills Thrift Shoppe, 36542 State Road 54
• Hudson Thrift Shoppe, 12154 U.S. 19 in Bayonet Point
• New Port Richey Thrift Shoppe, 6117 State Road 54

Those stores are open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed on Sundays.

Each sale benefits Gulfside Hospice and helps provide care for patients with life-limiting illnesses in the county.

The stores also are in need of volunteers. For more information, call (800) 561-4883, or visit Facebook.com/ghthriftshoppes.

Bus service now including PHSC’s Porter Campus

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The bus schedule for Route 54 has been adjusted, allowing it to now include Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

Pasco County Public Transportation started offering the bus service Sept. 29, and will come to the campus every two hours beginning at 8:07 a.m., and ending at 6:07 p.m.

Students are eligible for discount fares and passes with a valid PCPT reduced fare card, and can use a bus shelter and stop on the north side of the main facility, next to the parking garage.

“This is a wonderful addition” to the system, said PCPT director Mike Carroll, in a release. “I encourage students who use the campus to consider using the bus service as their main way to commute to school. Students able to catch the bus will save money on gas and transportation costs.”

Cross County Route 54 also makes stops at The Shops at Wiregrass, The Grove, Zephyrhills, and Medical Center of Trinity.

PCPT also operates the county’s para-transit services for those unable to access services because of a verifiable disability, environmental barrier, or distance from a route.

Those who would like more information about PCPT can call (813) 235-6073.

Bus route can be found by clicking here. More information on routes and schedules can be found right here.